CNN Names Zucker New President

CNN Names Zucker New President

CNN Names Jeff Zucker New President

NEW YORK - APRIL 19: President and CEO of NBC Universal Jeff Zucker poses for photos at the 2010 Matrix Awards presented by New York Women in Communications at The Waldorf Astoria on April 19, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images.

It's official: CNN this morning announced what the Internet had already figured out, former NBC chief Jeff Zucker will be the new president of the cable news network.

The announcement culminated a months-long search to find a replacement for Jim Walton, who had led CNN to record profits even as ratings for its American network, CNN/U.S., hit record lows. The network announced in July that Mr. Walton would step down at the end of the year.

Mr. Zucker will be expected to revive the American network to competitive standing against its rivals, Fox News and MSNBC, even as it maintains its position as a non-partisan news network opposing those speaking from the right (Fox) and left (MSNBC.)

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Zucker didn't exactly end on a high note with NBC, which fell from prime-time leader to laggard during his tenure. The good news for CNN, however, is that MSNBC thrived during the same time and managed to carve out its own territory in the crowded news market.